History of the Pink Colour: Gucci, Prada and Céline in Beloved and Hated Colour!
The New York museum, Fashion Institute of Technology, is considered to be one of the most important museums in the world. It is currently hosting a luxury exhibition Pink: the History of Punk, Pretty, Powerful Colour, which will last up to 5. January 2019. It is examining the changing role of pink colour over the last 300 years.
The exhibition which has a chronological and thematic sequence, analyses the symbolic evolution of pink colour and its tones. At the exhibition you will find over 30 luxury models from different periods, by various designers: Prada, Gucci, Comme de Garcon, Céline, etc.
Pink is associated with girls, tenderness, Barbie dolls and all things female. However, the symbolism and meaning of the pink colour has changed over time. The stereotype of pink for girls and blue for boys has only applied from the middle of the 20th century. Not always and not everywhere did men disregard pink.
"It is the society who decides which colour will mean what," says Valerie Steel, curator of the exhibition.
For example, in the 18th century Madame Pompadour promoted pink to become fashionable in luxurious French courts. It was identically suitable for ladies as for men, who wore pink suits just like women wore pink dresses. In different cultures, such as in the Indian one, men still wear pink colour.
In the middle of the 19th century, men left pink to their wives, sisters and daughters...
"Pink was at that time perceived as a fine colour, which expresses gentleness and playful spirit," adds Steel.
Later on it was considered as a colour of second skin, used by designers of luxury underwear.
During the 60's it had a double personality: it was sufficiently sophisticated in order to be worn by Jackie Kennedy and sensual and erotic enough in order to be worn by Marilyn Monroe in the film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes from 1953, where she wore a luxurious sparkling pink evening dress. In the 80's it was a favourite colour of the punk movement and in the 90´s it gained popularity in Japanese culture and fashion. In recent times it became a favourite also of the Hip Hop culture and is associated with homosexuality.
Pink - yes or no? Your wardrobe is sure to tell you how you feel.
